Lifting tongs



Dec. 3, 1929. F. G. PECK 1,737,614

LIFTING TONGS Filed March 26. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet l 2 mi/4M ATTORNEY lim/gI-INTOR 3, 1929. F. G. PECK LIFTING TONGS Filed March 26. 1927 3Sheets-Sheet 2 0' INVENTOR ATTORNEY F. G. PECK LIFTING TONGS Dec. .3,1929.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 26. 1927 INVENTOR BY W 7 6 M A ITORNEYPatented Dec. 3, 1929 UNITED- STATES PATENT O -FICE LIFTING TONGSApplication filed March. 26, 1927. Serial No. 178,569.

) or grab. is provided. which may be adapted to lift a; bale of paper orthe like,.the weight of the load sulilcing to-providethenecessaryclamping force. The grab is; so; designed that itv will clamp a bale orother article withoutmutilating. it and yet in. such manner that alldanger ofthe load. slipping from the grab is; obviated. Furthermore, thetongs or grab: is suitahly reinforced; and so arranged that it is:impossible for the. entire loadi to. benca-rri'ed by, onepart of thedevice only which action may result-in theebreakage of the grab.Lmaddition, a catcher locking device may. be provided. to; hold; the.jaws. in an. open position.

According-to the-invention the device may besso arranged. thatmerelifting ofthe grab causes: it. toiclamp. the load and removal of thelifting forcereleasesthe loadz. Furthermore,thegrabmay besomlesignedthat, when the lifting force is removed, the weight. of the grab on thebale or otherarti'cle-causes.the grab to assume its full. open positionin which position it; may be automatically locked. by the catch. Whenthe grab is infull open positionand is placed; overabale or. similararticle to be lifted,.the catch may bereleased causing: the jaws of thegrab, to assume a clamping position in. readiness to clamp the baleween; lifting force is appliedi.

Vanious other featuresand. advantages of. the invention will be apparentfrom the following particular description and from an inspection oftheaccompanying drawings.

'lie. invention also 1 consists in certain new and original features ofconstnuction. and combinations of: partshereinafter set; forth and:claimed.

Although: the noveli featuresiwhich are: believed to becharacteristicof: this invention willbe particularly. pointed out; in the claimsappended-hereto, the invention: itself, asto its: objects and:advantagemthe mode of its operation andthe manner. of its organizationmay be better understood by referring to.=the following descriptiontaken in connection with: the accompanying drawings forming a partthereof,in which Fig, 1. shows aperspective of the tongs in partiallyopened position.

Fig. 2- is: a side elevation of the tongs in partially opened position,and

3 is a side elevation of the t'ongsin its full open position,. showingthe tongs: in position over a bale to. be lifted before; the catch is.released.

Referring tothe drawing, the tongs may comprise a pair of jaws, l and 2:each jaw comprising a plurality of spaced. clampingmembers.3,.th.eclamping members of onejaw being disposed in crossedrelations to those of the other jaw. Each clamping member ct one. jawforms a; pair-with itscooperating clamping member ofthe; other jaw. Theclamping. members 3 of the: jaws have their lower ends-Bturnedinat-oward: each other as shown in. Figs; 1 and; 2;, The: jaws 1 and 2each have. an angle iron. 6. connecting the lower ends 5" of theclamping members,.the flanges of. the. angle: irons: being disposed onthe-inside and ends-respectively ofthe clamping members; Suitable anglecorner pieces 7 may. be providedfor rigidly connecting the angle irons 6tor the: clamping: members 3.

Each atv'has rigidly. connecting its clamping members 3: a.strengthening rod; 8,. the strengthening rod being disposed in collars35 forming parts of connectors. 10. The clamping'meinbers3 aredisposedrin channels in the connectors andzsuitably secured thereto.Suitable pins on rivets may connect the strengthening rod Standthe:collars 9.

At: theupper ends of theclamping'memhers 3:1nay be providedcCnnectorsllhaving channelsin whiclrthe clamping members are disposed, rivets orpins: being provided to rigidly secure the clamping members-to theconnectors Tlieconnectors 11 arefurthermore provided with collars-12through which are passed. pivot rods 13,:these rodsalsopassing' t'lirulioles30. in the clamping members 3 andibeing fixedly pinned-tothecollars 12.

At: the crossing points of'the' clamping members on the two jaws areprovided connectors: lithaving channels. in which the clamping members:3 1 are disposed; thecollars 15 of the connectors of each pair ofclamping members being disposed in close relation. A fulcrum rod 16 isprovided threading the collars 15, the fulcrum rod being provided withcotter pins, or the like, to prevent longitudinal displacement. It willbe appreciated that the fulcrum rod 16 allows the jaws 1 and 2 to pivotwith respect to each other.

Suspended by a suitable cable 17 from a crane or other suitable support(not shown) is an eye 18 which has a collar 19 in which is disposed asuspension rod 20, positioning collars 21 being provided to fix theaxial position of the eye 18.

Disposed at the ends of the suspension rod 20 are pairs of links 22connecting with the pivot rods 13, each link 22 comprising a shank 23with a connector 2 1 at each end, the connectors having channels inwhich the shank 23 is disposed and collars 25 fitting over thesuspension rod 20 and pivot rod 13 respectively. The shanks 23 haveholes in their ends thru which the rods 13 and 20 pass to provideadditional strength. Suitable devices such as cotter pins and washers 26are provided to the longitudinal positions of the links 22 on the rods.

In order to hold the tongs in open position suitable catch devices maybe provided. Two catch devices are shown for purpose of illustration andfor purpose of safety, but it will be understood that only one may beused or, if desired, they may be omitted'entirely.

One of the catch devices comprises a hook 31 threaded on the suspensionrod 20 and having its axial position fixed by the positioning collars21. A suitable eye bolt 32 is screw threaded into the hook and has awire 33 secured thereto extending to the operator. It will be seen that,when the tongs is moved to its full open position, as shown in Fig. 3,the rounded bottom on the hook wili engage the fulcrum rod 16 and thefulcrum rod will become automatically hooked in the hook, the hookassuming a normal po- 1 sition by gravity.

The other catch device comprises a pair of spaced catch members 35 madeof T-irons and having secured thereto connectors 36 having collars 37threaded on one of the pivot rods 13. The ends of the catch members 35have holes in which pivot rod 13 is disposed to provide additionalstrength. A suitable cross angle iron 38 connects the catch members attheir free ends. At the free ends of the catch members 35 the verticalflange is cutaway to provide a notch 39 so that, when the tongs isplaced in full open position, the notch will engage with other pivotrod, as shown clearly in Fig. 3. A suitable wire 40 extends from thecross member to the operatorso that the catch'may be disengaged whendesired.

In operation, when the tongs is once placed in full open position withthe catches engaged, it may be operated by a single workman. The tongswill be brought down over a bale or other article it is desired to liftto the position shown in Fig. 3. The catches will then be released bypulling the wires and the jaws will fall and rest upon the bale. Whenlifting force is applied to the tongs,

- this force cause the jaws to grip the bale securely so that it may belifted and moved to the desired position. When it is desired to lowerthe bale, the bale is lowered to the floor and as soon as the weight isremoved from the tongs, the jaws will release their hold on the bale.Further lowering of the tongs causes them to assume their full openposition on top of the bale. The catches are then automatically engaged.The tongs is now ready to lift another article. If desired, both catchesmay be omitted and the device operated by the aid of a man at the tongswho will open it to engage a bale. Thus it will be seen that a tongs isprovided that may be made fully automatic or semi-automatic, as desired.Suitable provision is made for lifting a bale of paper or similarmaterial with out mutilating the bale. Furthermore, suitable provisionis made for strengthening tongs so that they will not easily be broken,even though abused in use. The parts are made rugged and the tongs iscomparatively inexpensive to make.

While certain novel features of the invention have been shown anddescribed and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will beunderstood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in theforms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may bemade by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

l/Vhat is claimed is:

1. A lifting tongs comprising a pair of jaws, each jaw comprising aclamping mem ber disposed in crossed relation to the clamping member ofthe other jaw, a pivot connecting said clamping members, a suspensionmember, links pivotally connecting said suspension member andrespectively said clamping members, and means including a hook forallowing said suspension member and pivot to hook together to hold saidjaws in open position.

2. A lifting tongs comprising a pair of jaws, each jaw comprisingaclamping member disposed in a crossed relation to the clamping memberof the other jaw, a pivot conmeeting said clamping members, a suspensionmember, links pivoted to said suspension member, second and third pivotsconnecting said links and respectively said clamping members, a catchdevice pivoted to said second pivot and having a catch for engaging saidthird pivot when said jaws are in open position.

3. A lifting tongs comprising a pair of jaws, each jaw comprising aplurality of spaced clamping members, the clamping members of one jawbeing disposed in crossed relation to those of the other jaw to formpairs, clamping members of each jaw having their lower ends turned in toface the other jaw when said jaws are in closed position, each jawhaving an angle iron embracing the inside and lower end of said members,a fulcrum rod traversing all said members and being disposed above thecrossing point and between said jaws, each jaw having a strengtheningrod connecting its clamping members between said fulcurm rod and angleiron and disposed on the outside of said members, each jaw having apivot rod connecting the upper ends of its clamping members, asuspension rod, a pair of links pivotally connected to said suspensionrod at each end, one link of each pair connecting the upper pivot rod ofone j aw,the other link of each pair connecting the upper pivot rod ofthe other jaw, a hook catch pivotally connected to said suspension rodand adapted to hook said fulcurm rod, a catch frame made up of a pair ofspaced catch members pivoted to one of said pivot rods and connected bya cross member, said catch members having notches for engaging saidother pivot rod.

4. A lifting tongs comprising a pair of jaws, each jaw comprising aplurality of spaced clamping members, the clamping members of one jawbeing disposed in crossed relation to those of the other jaw, to formpairs, clamping members of each jaw having their lower ends turned in toface the other jaw when said jaws are in closed position, each jawhaving a cross member connecting the lower ends of said members, afulcurm rod traversing all said members at the crossing point, each jawhaving a strengthening mem ber connecting the members thereof betweensaid fulcrum rod and cross members, each jaw having a pivot memberconnecting the upper ends of its clamping members, a suspension rod, apair of links pivotally connected to said suspension rod at each end,one link of each pair connecting the upper pivot rod of one jaw, theother link of each pair connecting the upper pivot rod of the other jaw.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FRANK GUY PECK.

